Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed Virat Kohli to be an important player for India at the T20 World Cup in Australia. He also highlighted that the stunning batter loves to play in front of Australian crowds as well.
However, Kohli has been in sublime form with the bat for the Men in Blue for the last few months. He finished as the top run-scorer for India at the Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE. He scored 276 runs from five matches, including an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan as well.
The right-handed batter also smashed a crucial 63 off 48 deliveries against Australia in the T20I decider in Hyderabad. He also scored an unbeaten 49 off 28 balls in the second T20I against South Africa in Guwahati before heading to Australia.
“I think he’ll be ready to go. Nobody charges or fires him up like playing in Australia. He loves playing in front of Australian crowds and [batting] tracks. He has got a great track record to boost that kind of effort and I think he’ll be very pro. Big players rise to the occasion when the big tournament surfaces. So, I expect to see a lot of Virat Kohli this T20 World Cup,” Shastri said to Fox Sports.
“Watch out for Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav” – Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri also praised a lot of middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav, who has been in amazing form with the bat now. He has already smashed a couple of fifties Down Under, i.e., against Australia (50 off 33 balls) in the warm-up game and practice match against Western Australia XI (52 off 35 balls).
Suryakumar has already scored 851 runs in 24 T20Is this year, including a century and seven fifties. He will look to continue his stunning show in Australia to help India win only their second T20 World Cup trophy as well. Ravi Shastri added:
“From India’s point of view, watch out for Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. I would say Australia would have seen Hardik Pandya, but this one can light up the world cup, Suryakumar Yadav. He’s a specialist T20 player and he can be very innovative.”
Team India will begin their Super 12 campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday. October 23. India are named in the same group as Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa and a couple of qualifiers will join them from the first-round matches.
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